Indonesia advised to adjust to changes in US policies

The Jakarta Post – Jakarta. Indonesia has to prepare for possible changes in international policies under the US administration of president-elect Donald Trump, a political scientist said on Wednesday.

International policy expert Alexius Jemadu, who is also the dean of the faculty of social and political sciences at Jakarta-based Pelita Harapan University (UPH), said Trump had made obvious hints that he loathed cross-border trade partnerships.

“There will be something entirely new, and Indonesia has to be ready to face the uncertainty,” he said at the sidelines of an event held by the US Embassy in Jakarta to watch the presidential election.

Trump, nominated by the Republican Party, frequently claimed during his presidential bid that trade partnerships brought more harm than good to the US. The prevailing negative sentiment might spell the end of the Indonesian-US trade partnership under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, Aleksius said.

Meanwhile, political scientist Daniel Cooper from Lone Star College in Houston, US, said the US’s stance under Trump was still full of mystery, as he had not shown any specific program and often conveyed contradictory ideas through his remarks.

“He’s definitely shown anti-Muslim sentiment, and Indonesia is the most populous Muslim-majority country, but it’s not clear whether Trump will take any action [regarding Muslims] or just ignore them,” Cooper said. (fac/jun)